Three more protesters set themselves alight

Three more Iranians set themselves alight yesterday in protest at the arrest in France of 158 members of the Mojahedin People's Movement of Iran, which has been banned by all EU states as a terrorist organisation. The detainees include the wife and brother of Massoud Rajavi, the head of the movement.

One man, who suffered severe burns after pouring petrol over himself during a march in the Swiss city of Bern, had failed in an attempt to ignite himself outside the French embassy the day before.

Two other Iranians set themselves alight during a protest in front of the French embassy in Rome.

On Wednesday three protesters set themselves on fire in front of France's intelligence agency, and a 38-year-old man set himself alight during a protest outside the French embassy in London on Tuesday.

In Tehran Iran's reformist President Mohammad Khatami broke his silence on student protests which have been going on there for 10 days. He was proud the protesters numbered just a few hundred, he said, and America's support for the students only promoted national unity.

"They [Americans] think that if students or non-students gather and protest ... it means that the pillars of the system are shaking, but in fact it means that there is democracy in Iran,"added the foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi.